I am pleased to announce that the St. Paul Regional Labor Federation has endorsed the district's operating levy effort.
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Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
'If not now, when?'
Please take the time to read this wonderful column by MaryHelen Swanson at the Post Review before November 3rd.
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Tuesday, October 20, 2009
A very positive meeting
We hosted the second of two levy informational meetings last night. Over 80 people came, and brought with them some interesting and challenging points of view. Overall I felt it was a very positive meeting.
Here is the presentation from last night's meeting. It is considerably different from the one given on Sept. 22, so it is definitely worth a look.
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Here is the presentation from last night's meeting. It is considerably different from the one given on Sept. 22, so it is definitely worth a look.
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Read more!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
A gridiron story
While most of the "gridiron" coverage these days seems to center on a certain number 4, North Branch Area High School made a little football news this week too. This wonderful and heart warming story appeared in a local newspaper this week:
When I read stories like this I am filled with pride in NBAPS staff and students. And I think it is wonderful when people notice their willingness to go the extra mile.
I hope you will take the time to read the whole story.
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Kevin Seekon is a North Branch third grader diagnosed with Pervasive Development Disorder (on the autism spectrum).Is there ever!
Kevin loves football.
The following story, with Kevin at the center, will show you there’s more than one way to win on a football field.
When I read stories like this I am filled with pride in NBAPS staff and students. And I think it is wonderful when people notice their willingness to go the extra mile.
I hope you will take the time to read the whole story.
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Read more!
Monday, October 5, 2009
Forest Lake to start elementary Spanish
According to a recent press release, Forest Lake Area Schools is the latest district to embrace a world language option for elementary students:
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A plan to establish an Elementary Spanish Partial Immersion program at Forest Lake Area Schools for the fall of 2010 was initiated Thursday night, as the district school board voted 7-0 to pass a motion to authorize the plan.Congratulations Forest Lake!
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Thursday, October 1, 2009
2009 operating levy: Why now?
Originally published in the ECM Post Review, 9-30-09
In recent weeks a number of citizens have asked why the district is proposing operating levy questions now. Doesn’t the district know there is a recession?
Of course, we are very aware of the economic challenges facing our community. NBAPS has been experiencing the recession for six years or more already. In that time, we have cut programs, staff, and expenses equaling $10 million and spent down our fund balance to protect what we can.
As many of you are doing now, we turned every stone looking for resources, and found creative solutions to keep the district functioning. Those solutions haven’t always been popular, but losing things in tough times never is.
For six years NBAPS has constantly engaged state legislators, and fought hard for change so our students and community would no longer suffer unfairly from inequities in education funding.
To no avail.
No changes have been made, and with the exception of some one-time stop gaps, despite ever-increasing expenses our funding has stayed basically flat. No one rode in on a white horse to fix funding. No one dropped out of the sky to save the day. The hardest realization has been that, if we wanted to change our situation, if we wanted a better future for our students, we’d have to make that future ourselves.
Americans have a proud history of solving their own problems, and this is never more true than in tough times.
If the operating levy questions are passed the money won’t go to the federal government never to be seen again; and it won’t go into some generic state pot to be doled out at someone else’s pleasure. The funds will stay right here; every penny helping each student directly, every penny accounted for by you.
We did not arrive at this decision lightly, and believe me, we know what is happening in the world. Proposing an operating levy isn’t about “piling on” in a bad economy, it is about improving our corner of the world with our own two hands.
The same two hands that built our community and nation, and that will keep it great for generations to come.
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Read more!
In recent weeks a number of citizens have asked why the district is proposing operating levy questions now. Doesn’t the district know there is a recession?
Of course, we are very aware of the economic challenges facing our community. NBAPS has been experiencing the recession for six years or more already. In that time, we have cut programs, staff, and expenses equaling $10 million and spent down our fund balance to protect what we can.
As many of you are doing now, we turned every stone looking for resources, and found creative solutions to keep the district functioning. Those solutions haven’t always been popular, but losing things in tough times never is.
For six years NBAPS has constantly engaged state legislators, and fought hard for change so our students and community would no longer suffer unfairly from inequities in education funding.
To no avail.
No changes have been made, and with the exception of some one-time stop gaps, despite ever-increasing expenses our funding has stayed basically flat. No one rode in on a white horse to fix funding. No one dropped out of the sky to save the day. The hardest realization has been that, if we wanted to change our situation, if we wanted a better future for our students, we’d have to make that future ourselves.
Americans have a proud history of solving their own problems, and this is never more true than in tough times.
If the operating levy questions are passed the money won’t go to the federal government never to be seen again; and it won’t go into some generic state pot to be doled out at someone else’s pleasure. The funds will stay right here; every penny helping each student directly, every penny accounted for by you.
We did not arrive at this decision lightly, and believe me, we know what is happening in the world. Proposing an operating levy isn’t about “piling on” in a bad economy, it is about improving our corner of the world with our own two hands.
The same two hands that built our community and nation, and that will keep it great for generations to come.
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Read more!
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